It's Midweek

Day 2 of work.

I had to pry my eyes open. Soon, I need something stronger to have them open.

I was so solidly stuck in bed I had problems reaching to my alarm clock under the bed. My arms were numb and as I got up I felt the pins and needles as blood rushed back in. I must have slept in an awkward position again. And not to say I must have been way too tired to even realise that.

The laundry is set down to wash this morning. I'll have them spun dry later this evening so that I can hang them up to dry. Man, I never dreaded doing laundry that much until now. But at least yesterday was no laundry day, which is a small victory for me. This means life is slowly creeping back to its normality. (Oh, please, "normalcy" is not really in the correct form - it is bad English to use it.)

The dust from the floor seems to be thinning out and I am beginning to feel the tile surfaces. The cleaning must be helping.

Finally took out the rubbish this morning. I suppose the best way of remembering to do it is to hang it on the main gate and on the way out, the bags of rubbish go out.

Still monitoring for ant trails. We have battled the ants for a long time and had limited success. I am so really determined to win this battle, so I'm going to do another thorough cleaning of the suspicious places soon.

I have nearly fallen asleep at my desk at work today. That's a bad sign. But on a brighter note, things are moving along. I hope to kill off all the outstanding stuff soon, especially when the deadlines loom. If I had my way, things would have been done a long time ago!

Two more days. Hanging in there...

It's Sunny But It's Raining

This is exactly how I am feeling right now. A mixed kind of feeling.

The painkillers are irritating the shit out of me already. Take it literally - I'm having some mild wind and the runs. Probably also because I had been too hungry yesterday.

The fridge is not stocked with the right stuff. My freezer is empty. I think I need to raid Cold Storage soon for some stuff. Nothing is more comforting than seeing some frozen meat/ham/sausages in the freezer.

We do not have a rubbish chute in the house. We now need to be more alert to take out the trash. I forgot twice already and soon the house will be a dump.

I need to clean the corridor of the wine stains. The movers broke a bottle of white wine during the move on Saturday and I can still see the stains. The wine is very dry - it wasn't even sticky. Amazing!

It's high time to reorganise the boxes in the work room so that I can move the laptops over and set up a proper work area. It is so inconducive for the bedroom to double as a work room.

Given our habits of not putting on more than a pair of shorts in the house, housemate is keeping the windows all shut. Modesty issue for him. Sigh.

I bet the electricity bill is shooting through the roof this month, given that I have the fans turned on at full blast all the while. I'd fry in my own fats otherwise.

The neatest room in the house is the storeroom. A million thanks to the same foursome who really put me to shame in house organisation.

It's been a mad mad mad mad time for the past few days. And I believe things should get better until my housemate officially moves in on 10 Nov. I'll need to do more sanity checks.

Work

The alarm went off at 5.40 am this morning. I would never have had to get up earlier than 7 am when I was at Telok Blangah Drive.

Seriously, I am so tired now I could fall into a thousand year sleeping spell and never wake up until...

I think I'd need to get out of the house by 6.30 am if I ever dream of being on time. I'll try that tomorrow, since my housemate drove me to work today and I arrived just after 7 am.

I need to get used to this...

Craziness Revisited

I had to pry my eyes open at 9 am yesterday as I had something on at 10 am. Had meant to take the bus to get there but in the end, gave in to the sloth in me and took a cab instead. Fortunately, it cost $4. Thank goodness! The bus journey would probably cost a third as much but hey, I'm so tired I would break up into a million pieces any time.

Came back at noon and started doing more washing and unpacking before my next appointment at 5 pm. And I had meant to take the train but in the end, gave in to the sloth in me and took a cab instead. Unfortunately, it cost $10.60. Bad move! The bus-train journey would probably cost an eighth as much but still, I'm so tired I would break up into a million and one pieces any time. I waited more than an hour for that appointment but it was still good.

Dinner was a pack and eat at home affair since someone wanted to buy the metal bed frame.

Really, this move was even more unbelievable because of the things that happened - there was a "sale" on our end.

On the day of the move, some lady came and bought the 6 feet wardrobe off me. I had had mixed feelings about taking that huge wardrobe along with me to the new place. One, space was tight. Two, it didn't really fit in - it was more the elaborate 60's type of design which would look really good if you liked wardrobes with elaborate roofs and designs and carvings. I sold it for $250, having bought it at $800. Painful, but somehow, if the old doesn't go, the new wouldn't even have a chance.

On the same day, we managed to dispose off a bed frame for $60. This was left behind by the old houseowner at our request. We had immediately regretted making that request. We ended up with two bed frames which one was supposed to be a free gift with the wardrobe. In the end, this one went.

The black metal one which I had bought for $99 went for $50. Not too bad. And then we sold off a new, completely unopened Ikea table and four legs for $40 (U.P. $90). It was not a spur of the moment sale. I had used one of the tables before but it was not my type - not heavy duty enough for heavyweight users like me. So I was glad it found a good home.

The curtains are up in the new place and I have not managed to get used to the heat coming out of those 32W and 40W lights. Man, they really make me sweat.

The kitchen is almost functional except for gas supply, which I had resisted even now, and for a good reason. Once there is gas, the temptation to cook becomes stronger. Thank you Gerald, Justin, Wei Qiang and Kian Eng for the kitchen session.

The rooms are not functional. Not a single room is functional, though I have been sleeping amongst the mess. The toilets are great. The best rooms in the house are the rest rooms. Those AMS loos and sinks are great!

I have broadband access and TV too - thank you Gerald and Justin for twiddling and getting most of it right. It helped a lot nonetheless.

My electric toothbrush charger is still MIA despite me opening up every single box to check. I really wonder where it might be. I hope to find it soon, before I go mad.

We need more shelves - the teak wood book shelf at the Helping Hands for repair now needs to come back fast. My sliding door wardrobe is bursting at its seams already. I need more storage. I also need to throw away more stuff.

Oh yes, our former landlady who is now our dear friend has returned our deposit after finding her house in a good condition. In fact, over 5 quarters, we replaced her water heater, replaced faulty switches, repaired faulty sockets, and replaced doorknobs and locks so that the entire place is safe. We didn't mind it that much as she was gracious enough to let us have the place at a rental price lower than what she wanted - because that was all we could afford. One good turn deserves another!

I am babbling now. Time to get off.

Updates

Here's a quick update before I give in to the Z monster.

The movers came yesterday and they moved most of the stuff over in two trips.

icloud, OKE, Justin and Wei Qiang were such angels - they helped with the unpacking in the kitchen. I am very very grateful for their help.

We went back to the old place to clean up till close to 11 pm before coming back to the new place.

I carried on with the cleaning and went to bed at almost 2 am today.

Woke up and cleaned and unpacked even more today.

I'm entirely bushed now and I'll be hitting the sack once I log out.

Moving is such a pain.

The works

The entire house is littered with boxes now.

The move is coming soon.

The backache meds I've been taking prophylactically is helping. My back is sore but I'm not hurting.

I can't wait to move so that I can start living again!

Directions

If you can meet up at the bus-stop outside Vivocity at around 10.45 am and then call me, we will drive over and pick you all up.

If you prefer to do the lone ranger, here are the directions.

From the nearest MRT station

NE Line - Harbourfront Station
Bus 131 or 145 on the Vivocity/Harbourfront side.
Alight at the first bus-stop after bus turns right to Henderson Road.
Turn left after alighting.
My flat is the point block that faces the Chinese Guanyin Temple.

EW Line - Redhill Station (most convenient)
Bus 145 on the side of the MRT station.
The bus will turn right and then will go past, in order, DSTA/CMPB on your right and then SAFRA Mount Faber on your left.
From SAFRA, alight at the 2nd bus-stop.
Your bus-stop is opposite the bus-stop above (NE line).
Turn right after alighting. Cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.
My flat is the point block that faces the Chinese Guanyin Temple.

If you miss this, the bus would turn left and you will alight at the 3rd bus-stop after the Shell Station along Telok Blangah Road. By then, you would have passed my block and you'd know how to reverse navigate.

EW Line - Tanjong Pagar (nearest station)
Take bus 131 at the bus-stop opposite the Temasek Towers (the round building) and near a karaoke joint. It's an underground maze to navigate at the station, so.
This bus will go to Harbourfront and follow the instructions from there.

New Chemical Element Discovered

by William DeBuvitz

This bit of humor was written in April 1988 and appeared in the January 1989 issue of The Physics Teacher. William DeBuvitz is a physics professor at Middlesex County College in Edison, New Jersey (USA). He retired in June of 2000.

The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by investigators at a major U.S. research university. The element, tentatively named administratium, has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic number of 0. However, it does have one neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons and 111 assistant vice neutrons, which gives it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons.

Since it has no electrons, administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of administratium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would have normally occurred in less than a second.

Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years, at which time it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Some studies have shown that the atomic mass actually increases after each reorganization.

Research at other laboratories indicates that administratium occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It tends to concentrate at certain points such as government agencies, large corporations, and universities. It can usually be found in the newest, best appointed, and best maintained buildings.

Scientists point out that administratium is known to be toxic at any level of concentration and can easily destroy any productive reaction where it is allowed to accumulate. Attempts are being made to determine how administratium can be controlled to prevent irreversible damage, but results to date are not promising.

Source: http://www.lhup.edu/~DSIMANEK/administ.htm

[Blogger's Note: It's almost 20 years since the discovery of administratium and it is amazing the abundance of this element. If the world ran on administratium rather than on oil, we would live on forever and ever...]

I'm just so tired

I feel as though I'm crumbling to pieces like a overbaked cookie...

Too much to do in too little time, too little sleep.

Too much emotions and these outbursts or restraining these outburts take too much energy. They consume you.

I want to just go to bed and stay asleep.

Waking up is like facing a firing squad, which I dread.

A lull period

I'll be on and off here for at least the coming fortnight.

I've been visiting the place, which is currently under renovation, about 4 to 5 times a week with the owner. We are both getting a little aback by the speed of the renovation. The lack of speed, that is. We are also partly to blame, having bought items in drips and draps and bringing them in for the contractors to put up. It's hard work for them but it is equally hard for us as we scramble to accumulate what we need in the little daylight hours left after we knock off from work.

While the contractors are confident that everything would be done by our stipulated deadlines, I'm more circumspect. I keep a running list of the list of things to-do and the completion. We are not even half in green yet although whatever has been accomplished are very much to our liking.

I'll be moving to my new place on 27 Oct and I've arranged for packing to be done on 20 Oct. Meanwhile, I've designated 22 and 29 Oct as "recovery" days and 19 and 26 Oct as preparation days. I've become a relocation cynic - and I'm most functional when I'm desperately out of time. I'm approaching that.

I hope this will be one move that will last quite some time.

Work-wise, everything is not moving as they should. It is as though the floodgates are still held shut by a straw, which I'm trying to break, before the pressure builds up beyond the point of salvation.

I fear the deluge when the gates finally fly open and I'm caught flat-footed. I've sent a great many chasers but I can only do that much.

I'm intending to see the doctor for this minor throat irritation - I hope it is not what my deepest fears conjure. But then, like all things in life, when god closes a door, he usually slams it in your face. Just don't be blinded by the door knob or you can't find the window he opens for you after that.

Oh well, what will be, will be.

And then I found out...

that the Nobel Peace prize (or was it all Nobel Prizes) could only be given to people who are still alive (that's why Ghandi didn't get his Peace Prize - the committee didn't give any award for that year in the end) and that they could only give out awards to people who used "peaceful" means.

Sigh.

Who blinded the Nobel Prize Selectors?

How could Al Gore be a joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his works on Global Warming when he is a major contributor to it?

I'd also nominate a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize for Hitler helping with population control!

Is it going to be a right decision?

Often, when we decide on something that would make us very happy for the moment of the decision, we think we have made the correct decision.

However, there are some decisions that are made in the POINT of time and then, what happens later you have absolutely no idea or control. In such a case, how do we know if we have made a correct decision?

Fleeting Memories

去年今日此门中,人面桃花相应红。
人面不知何处去，桃花依旧笑春风。

In this house last year, the (people's) faces and the peach blossoms were rosy
The faces are now all gone although the peach blossoms are in full bloom in the spring breeze.

The impermanence of life is very well captured in this four-line poem. It always reminds me that things change very fast. In fact, people come and go so quickly that they hardly make a dent in their environment.

Hanging on is futile. Unless one finds the mythical Shangri La.

Humans are born to walk in circles

Wonder if there are times in your lives when you felt as if you have gone on a huge detour of the world only to end up at the same place?

A note to myself

A translation of what I had written below. I can only hope I have captured the essence and nuances aptly.

To not slave over a flower in full bloom
To take big strides into the unknown fields

To not pace up and down on a crowded well trodden path
To go out and explore the big world out there

Leaving, letting go, can also bring happiness

A note to myself

不空守着一朵繁盛的花
放大脚步涉掠青踪绿野

不愿徘徊在匆促拥挤的康庄大道
去追求一片放眼无际的天涯

放下离开也会有快乐

Double Whammy

Guess what? While battling the aching back and painful inner thighs, I came to my apartment lobby to realise that the only lift serving the 25 storey block of flats was OUT OF ORDER!

@#$*!

One other lift was being upgraded to serve residents on level 25 - the lifts used to call on each floor up to level 24.

So I had to climb 19 storeys up.

What luck!

Pain...

My back is hurting. The sides are hurting.

The pain shoots down the inner thighs.

I'm so miserable.

The Wisteria Lane Slut Didn't Die...

Oh my god, my god, my god.

I was rolling with laughter last night when I watched the season 4 premier of Desperate Housewives.

Bloody Edie Brit didn't die! How can that be? She must die!

And how can Carlos be so dumb? Does he have the IQ of a real moron?

I laughed out really really loud when Lynette puked into another bitch's handbag at her son's play. She was feeling really sick as she was on chemo.

Bree was good as usual but she has competition!

And Mike's plumbing works was great - Susan's pregnant.

I also can't wait for Gabrielle to start her antics.

But most of all, I just want the neighbourhood slut dead.

Oh, I heard they will be introducing a gay couple in this season! It should be interesting. Two new housewives?

But then I forget...

I don't know about you guys but every time I tell myself that I have something that I must blog about, I log in and can never remember what I had wanted to blog.

A part of this can be attributed to sleep deprivation.

Another part of this is probably the desire to blog about the issue is not as intense as the want to merely bitch about it. Therefore, one does not remember to bitch about the lesser things.

The last part I believe is ageing.

I think I am falling...

in love? Maybe not.

sick? Looks that way.

asleep? Bingo.

I'm so tired now but I've got a pile of papers to look through.

Sigh.

Drowning

It's raining work.

And I'm flooded with requests.

I'm drowning.

Am I losing my marbles?

I thought I read Fraser's entry on "Hillary has lost her marbles" quite some time back.

Was it really only on 29 September that the post was written?

I doubt it. I honestly doubt it.

Am I losing my marbles?

*Checks!* Thank god the balls are still there.